MRP Camber chainset review

MRP’s new Camber Cranks are aimed at the cutting edge of the new-school lightweight downhill crank market.

In fact, the forged alloy arms, along with their bottom bracket and axle, weigh in at a staggering 866g. To put that in perspective, it’s almost 150g lighter than the benchmark Shimano Saint offering – impressive.

The Camber’s burly two-piece looks defy gravity thanks to some meaty material reduction to the back of the arms, a hollow chromoly spindle and the absence of granny-ring tabs. The latter results in fewer grumbles when it comes to chain device compatibility too.

The cranks get away with the extensive material cuts thanks to their burly width. As soon as we started giving them some abuse, it was clear we were dealing with a pair of seriously stiff cranks.

Any qualms we may have had about a hardcore crank weighing this little were soon expelled and you’re left with a big chunk of weight removed from the centre of your bike.

The bottom bracket is quality too – it fits snugly without any grief and after months of abuse without even a waft of a service or decent clean, it’s still spinning ultra-smooth.